The road to Cottage Grove

1990 was a pivotal year in my life and it was time for a change. I left my native Florida in a painted-up Ford van a la Ken Kesey, which I had rigged out to live in. Having had the “On the Road” experience with a backpack and thumb out in the ’70s, I decided to upgrade.

I pointed my nose towards Berkeley, Calif., to visit a buddy who had moved out there, but made a slow meandering trip out of it, staying on blue-line highways the whole way.

When I arrived, I was reminded how nice the climate was on the left coast, having been out before during my vagabonding days. No humidity, cool...